Black Maternal Health Week May Be Over, but We’re Just Getting Started
April 17, 2018The first-ever national Black Maternal Health Week, founded and led by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, was created to give voice to an otherwise overlooked issue. The unfortunate reality is that Black mamas have borne the brunt of ill health for far too long. For decades, Black women have been more likely than white women to suffer poor maternal health outcomes. These racial disparities deserve national and global attention and action.
During Black Maternal Health Week, we raised awareness about the burden of maternal mortality and morbidity in the Black community and amplified the voices of Black mamas and Black women leaders on maternal health through webinars, online conversations, articles, and in-person events. We helped to galvanize local actors and community organizing on Black maternal health that I hope will continue in the weeks and months to come because there is much more work to do.
We cannot stop until we know that Black mamas are safe from the harm caused by racism, racial discrimination, and oppressive policies, and that they have the resources and support to thrive before, during, and after pregnancy. The path to realizing that goal is long and we are only at the beginning.